Serena's Accident formerly The Accident
by Caoilte
Summary: Serena is seriously injured in a hit and run accident and Darien has to deal with his feelings towards her. Now revised!
1. The Accident

This is my very first story so I hope the reader will be gentle with me :)  
  
Disclaimer: SM is not mine. Surprised? Didn't think so...The characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi and various others, not me.  
  
Email is always welcome: caoilte.la-canadienne@laposte.net  
  
CHAPTER ONE - Serena's Accident  
  
Walking down the main street on his way to the bookshop, Darien heard a familiar voice.  
  
  
  
"Wait up, Lita, I'm on the way," he heard Serena call from the other side of the street.  
  
He looked up just in time to see the car hit her, catapulting her over the hood and into the street.   
  
"No!" he cried in anguish, running over to where she was laying on the pavement, Lita just barely behind him.   
  
She looked at him strangely as she knelt down beside her fallen friend.  
  
"I thought you didn't like her," she hissed at him.  
  
Ignoring her, he frantically assessed Serena's condition.   
  
"Did anyone get a make on that car that hit her?" he heard someone ask.  
  
Without replying, he held Serena, performing CPR as he was trained to do, silently begging her to hang  
  
in there. When the EMT arrived to take over, he held her hand, calling out to her and using the healing  
  
energy he had as Tuxedo Mask to give her a better chance of survival. With Lita looking on, they loaded  
  
her into the waiting ambulance.   
  
"I'm going with her," she told them firmly. "You can't stop me," she added, getting into the back before  
  
they could stop her.  
  
"I'm going too," Darien said, with a look that dared Lita to say something.   
  
He was almost disappointed when she just glared at him but held her peace.  
  
"You're lucky we're using the large ambulance today then sir, or you'd have to follow us some other way," the  
  
EMT told him.   
  
"I don't care, I am going with her," Darien replied just as firmly as Lita had. "One way or another."  
  
Throughout the long ride to the Juuban District Hospital, he held one hand while Lita held the other as  
  
the EMT worked to stablize her. Every once in a while she would look over at him with a puzzled look on  
  
her face. 'Let her wonder,' Darien thought after intercepting one of the many odd looks from her.  
  
'I don't care about anything right now. All I want is for Serena to be ok.'   
  
Lita wondered what was going on. 'He's always teasing her and now he's acting very oddly...I wonder what  
  
is going on with him, I really do. I hope Serena's ok. I'll have to call the others....and her parents,'  
  
she thought morosely, not looking forward to it at all.  
  
At the hospital, they quickly took her into the first available surgery unit.   
  
"I'm sorry but you can't go in there," the nurses told Darien and Lita. "You'll have to wait in the  
  
patients' family waiting area."   
  
She pointed to a room off the main doors.   
  
"I don't think you realise who I am," Darien said angrily, pulling out his hospital identification.  
  
The nurse glanced cursorily at it and replied, just as firmly, "Nonetheless, you're not part of the surgical  
  
team and you will wait as I asked you, or I will have you removed."  
  
Faced with the possible consequences, he gave in with an angry mutter and a sigh. Sinking into a chair,  
  
Darien let the threatened tears fall. He didn't realise he was in shock from witnessing the accident, but Lita  
  
did. Giving his arm a gentle squeeze, she went to call the other girls, then called Serena's parents.   
  
The Tsukinos were understandably upset and told her they'd be right there. She didn't mention that there  
  
was a young man also waiting for news of Serena. Even the usually unflappable Lita quailed in the face of  
  
Kenji Tsukino's wrath where his daughter's love life was concerned.  
  
Returning to the waiting area, she gave Darien another strange yet sympathetic look and sat next to him.  
  
"Thanks Darien," was all she said. "I think you might have saved her life, you know."   
  
Lost in his own pain, he didn't hear her.   
  
"Darien, Earth to Darien," she poked him in the side gently, trying to get a reaction from him.   
  
"What!" he snarled at her with tears in his eyes.   
  
"Look Darien, I don't know what your problem is, but MY FRIEND is in surgery now. I don't need this from  
  
the likes of you!" she snapped back, her voice and composure breaking.   
  
She collapsed into his arms suddenly, the pain more than she could stand, tears streaming from her eyes.   
  
"It's all my fault too," she cried. "'If I hadn't been going too fast, not waiting for her to catch up   
  
safely, this wouldn't have happened."  
  
She felt the guilt crushing her more and more with every passing moment. Darien covered her hands with his  
  
own in a gesture that was unfamiliar to the normally aloof young man.   
  
"Look I am sorry Lita, I really am. I am supposed to be a doctor, or at least training to be one and I  
  
couldn't do anything more for her. I know it wasn't your fault either. She was just in the wrong place  
  
at the wrong time. I am sure she'll be just fine, just you wait," he said bravely, not daring to speak, or  
  
even think of the alternative.   
  
Lita just nodded, not trusting her voice.  
  
Ami, Rei and Mina arrived just then with Luna and Artemis in tow, hidden in gym bags carried by Mina and Rei.  
  
Crowding around the pair, they bombarded Darien and Lita with their questions.   
  
"Slow down girls," Artemis said, his voice muffled from his hidden spot in Mina's gym bag. "Give them room."   
  
They all stopped talking at once.   
  
Darien spoke quietly.  
  
"It's still too early to say what the prognosis is. She's only been in surgery for about half an hour now.  
  
These things take time to deal with."  
  
Finding their seats, they all sat staring blankly at one another until the Tsukinos arrived.   
  
"Where is she, where's my baby girl," they heard her mother's frantic voice.   
  
Ami spoke up.  
  
"I'll go see to her family."   
  
"Thanks Ami-chan," the others replied sadly.   
  
Serena's parents and little brother came into the room and suddenly it felt too small. The girls got up  
  
and went into the common waiting area after greeting the Tsukinos, leaving Darien with Serena's parents.  
  
Ami had told Kenji and Ikuko Tsukino about the young man who had tried to save Serena after the accident.  
  
She didn't tell them the relationship between the two, feeling it better to leave it to Darien to tell them.  
  
"I understand you tried to help our Serena this afternoon," Serena's father said in a choked voice.   
  
"Yes, sir,'Darien said softly, with his head bowed, not looking at him.   
  
"Thank you," her father said, putting his hand on Darien's shoulder. "I'm sure you did the best you could for  
  
her and I hope she pulls through."  
  
Looking up at her father, Darien replied quietly, "I hope so too, sir."  
  
Kenji Tsukino wasn't so upset that he couldn't see the young man he thought to be merely Serena's saviour  
  
had an interest in his daughter quite apart from helping to save her.   
  
"Come over here a minute and sit down with me. I think we need to have a talk."   
  
He led Darien to the corner opposite where his wife and son sat waiting for news of their daughter.  
  
"Now, I think you'd better tell me from the start. What's the story about you and my daughter?"   
  
Kenji Tsukino spoke firmly but kindly to the young man. Darien started.   
  
"Why should there be anything between myself and Serena, sir?" he choked out in surprise and mild embarrassment.   
  
"Fathers can tell these things," Kenji chuckled tiredly. "Serena's been acting stranger than usual the  
  
past few months and I knew there had to be a boy involved somehow. I didn't expect a polite young man to  
  
be honest though. Not from what little I've heard her telling her friends on the phone. She talks about you a lot  
  
actually."   
  
Darien stared at him.   
  
"She talked about me on the phone with her friends?" he blurted out, blushing slightly.   
  
He didn't realise he'd made such an impact on her, though he admitted that he'd given her plenty of  
  
not-so-nice things to talk about. Under her father's stern gaze, he started from the very beginning,  
  
from the day when Serena's crumpled test paper had hit him on the head, up to the sad events of that day.  
  
He hadn't had anyone to confide in and under the circumstances, felt the need to confess everything to   
  
her father, whether he understood or not.   
  
"I just can't help it sir, I never meant to be really nasty. I didn't know what to do; didn't want her to find out   
  
that a man like me loved a beautiful, lively girl like her. All she'd do is laugh at me anyway, she's quite  
  
good at that," Darien finished sadly.   
  
Kenji Tsukino sat lost in thought.   
  
"I remember when I met her mother," he told Darien. "We met at the Hot Springs down at the coast and I felt  
  
much the same way as you do now."  
  
He looked to where his family sat at the other end of the room.   
  
"Serena has her mother's beauty and energy, but unfortunately not her brains," he smiled sadly. 'My daughter means  
  
more to me than anything else in the world and I can see she means the same to you. If it makes you feel any  
  
better, I would be pleased for her to find a man such as you to marry, settle down with and have take care of  
  
her."  
  
I will tell you this though," and here he gave Darien the sternest look he could muster up. "If you ever hurt  
  
my daughter in any way, shape, or form, you will wish you had never been born."  
  
Darien looked at him in shock. From what he'd heard from the Sailor Scouts who were Serena's closest friends,  
  
Serena's father was a terrible dragon when it came to his daughter and her love life and he never thought he'd  
  
get approval from Kenji Tsukino.   
  
"Th - Thank you, sir. I only hope Serena comes to feel that way some day and I can tell you now, I would never  
  
hurt her, I love her too much," he put his face in his hands. "I just couldn't bear it if she doesn't...." he  
  
said, his voice muffled.   
  
Kenji put his hand on Darien's shoulder.   
  
"Bear up, son, she'll be ok. She's always ok. She'll make it, I know she will," he told the young man, "Just  
  
take your time and come and sit with us."  
  
He went to sit with the rest of his family and took his wife's hand in his. Just then, the surgeon appeared at  
  
the door.  
  
"Kenji and Ikuko Tsukino?" he asked.   
  
"We're here," Serena's father replied as they all looked at him expectantly.  
  
"Serena's certainly a strong girl. She made it through the surgery but she's in a coma. She has a broken left  
  
leg from where the car hit her, her right arm is broken in two places, and her collarbone is broken. She also  
  
sustained serious head injuries and we had to shave her hair off in order to operate. We don't know if she's  
  
got brain damage yet, it's still too early to tell. We won't know until she comes out of the coma, if she comes  
  
out...." he trailed off at the horrified looks the family gave him.   
  
Darien slouched deeper into his chair. He'd saved her, only to find out she may end up as little more than a  
  
shell hooked up to monitors and respirators. He began to cry softly, trying hard not to be noticed while doing so.  
  
He didn't see the understanding looks her parents and the doctor gave him.  
  
"You can see her if you like but please, don't do anything to upset her right now. We need to keep her stable.  
  
I'll send a nurse to show you the way," the doctor told them.   
  
Kenji stood up and went to Darien, who hurriedly wiped his eyes with a tissue from his pocket.   
  
"You're welcome to join us if you like," he told the young man.   
  
"No, I'll wait until you've seen her," Darien replied.   
  
"As you like, though you're still welcome to come with us when we go to see her," Kenji said.  
  
"Thank you, sir," Darien said, "I'd like to sit here for a bit and collect my thoughts first if you don't mind."  
  
Mr. Tsukino nodded understandingly and returned to his family who waited nervously for the nurse to come.   
  
The nurse appeared shortly after.  
  
"If you'd like to come through now..."   
  
She guided the Tsukino family to Serena's room.  
  
Left alone with his thoughts, Darien thought back to his adventures with Serena, her various test papers and her  
  
shoes, and the various times they'd made connections with his head. He absently rubbed his head and smiled   
  
sadly to himself. Little did she know...the man she loved as Tuxedo Mask was her nemesis Darien Shields in real  
  
life. And that he loved her with all his being and teased her unmercifully to hide it, not only from her, but  
  
from himself. He couldn't keep it hidden any longer. Darien hadn't actually known he loved Serena quite so much  
  
until he told their story to her father but he knew it was the clear and unvarnished truth. What he didn't  
  
yet know was how Serena really felt about him. It was one thing to tell her friends about his teasing her,  
  
but quite another to admit she liked him, let alone was in love with her sworn enemy, Darien the Jerk. What  
  
would he do if she really and truly hated him? He didn't know but he had to find out. Going to the door of   
  
the waiting room, he saw the Sailor Scouts still waiting in the common waiting area.   
  
"Lita, girls, Serena made it through the surgery ok but she's in a coma right now," he told them.   
  
Lita looked up at him with eyes filled with tears. They'd all been talking amongst themselves, hoping and praying  
  
that Serena would make it through the surgery and though their prayers had been answered, they recognised  
  
she still had a ways to go in her recovery.  
  
"That is not really a good sign, you know, Darien," she said sadly.   
  
He looked at her blankly, uncertainty written on his face.   
  
"At least she's still alive and that IS a good thing," Ami said to her.   
  
They all looked at Ami. Her mother was one of the top doctors in the hospital and Ami looked to follow in her  
  
footsteps, so she should know.   
  
"The longer she stays alive, the better her chances are," Ami told them hopefully, "but there could also be a  
  
chance of serious brain damage too. They'll only be able to tell once Serena comes out of her coma."   
  
"That is what the doctor said," Darien told them. "It wouldn't be good to get our hopes up just yet, but she's  
  
just gotta be ok...." He trailed off, his voice breaking.   
  
Rei put her arm around him awkwardly. Much as she liked the young man herself, she knew Serena liked him even more,   
  
and suspected the pair went better together than she and Darien would ever have been.  
  
"She's got a hard head Darien. We know from...well, we just know from experience," Rei said with a wry smile.  
  
She didn't want to reveal Serena's secret, unaware that Darien was Tuxedo Mask and already knew their identities  
  
as the Sailor Scouts. He looked at her and she removed her arm, blushing. Darien didn't notice. His eyes went to   
  
the door where Serena's parents had just come from seeing Serena and her mother's eyes were red with crying. Even  
  
her normally obnoxious little brother Sammy was subdued.   
  
"You can go in now Darien," Serena's father told him.   
  
The girls looked at each other in confusion. Mr. Tsukino was actually nice to Darien? Didn't he know about Darien's  
  
treatment of Serena?   
  
"Ahem, girls, can we leave Darien alone with her please," Lita said, clearing her throat awkwardly.   
  
"I'd like to talk to you about him without him hearing," she said quietly to the others as Darien slipped from   
  
the room and walked down the hallway behind the nurse to Serena's room.   
  
The Tsukinos said their goodbyes to the girls and went out, Serena's mother weeping into her husband's shirt front  
  
as they left.   
  
"Ok, spill it," Rei said to her. "What's this so-important news you have to tell us?" she asked.  
  
Lita told them about Darien's strange behaviour at the time of Serena's accident.   
  
"Yeah, whatever, maybe he feels guilty about how he treated her," Rei scoffed, not inclined to be charitable.   
  
"No Rei, it's more than that. I...I think he actually...loves her," Lita said uncomfortably.   
  
The other girls looked at her in shock.   
  
"Darien...loves...Serena?" Mina choked, then looked thoughtful.  
  
"Yes, and he's been acting really oddly since the accident actually. I think that explains Mr. Tsukino's attitude  
  
towards him as well. They must have been talking in there otherwise he wouldn't have stood for Darien being in that  
  
room, much less here at all, even if he did help to save her life. You know how protective he is about Serena,  
  
especially around guys. Remember the incident with Melvin after he tried to take her out for sodas? ' Lita told them with  
  
a small laugh.  
  
Rei didn't look convinced but Mina looked speculatively down the hall where Darien had disappeared. Things could turn out  
  
very interesting she thought to herself.  
  
Darien stood at the door of Serena's room. 'How small she looks, hooked up to all that stuff,' he thought to himself. He  
  
shifted uncomfortably.   
  
"Go ahead, you won't break anything," the nurse told him kindly.  
  
Darien entered the room quietly and knelt down beside her bed, carefully moving the various bits of equipment out  
  
of the way. His heart breaking at the sight of the livid bruises on her face and arms, he took her small, delicate   
  
hand in his, talking to her softly. He told her about his day and that the Sailor Scouts were at the hospital  
  
waiting for their chance to see her as well. His soft voice choked up. He couldn't bear to see her lying there,  
  
not knowing if she was going to make it whole or if she'd be like that for the rest of her life. With his medical  
  
training, he knew she could exist indefinitely but in his heart, he hoped she would wake up soon and look at him  
  
again with those beautiful, bright blue eyes. Even in anger she was beautiful. That was why he teased her so  
  
unmercifully. He loved the way they sparkled when they fought. He loved the way she smiled at him when she thought  
  
he wasn't looking, and the way she blushed when he caught her looking at him. Darien found himself telling her all this  
  
but didn't care. He loved her and wanted her to snap out of it. To go back to being the ditzy, loveable Serena that  
  
everyone knew and loved. Not this shell of a girl hooked up to the various monitors which were keeping her alive.  
  
A slight blip of the monitor startled him and he looked up. Nothing...His shoulders slumped. He didn't know if he  
  
could take this. Giving her hand one last squeeze and giving her a gentle kiss, he got up and went to the door.  
  
Looking back at her slight body dwarfed by the medical equipment, he suddenly smiled as he thought of something.  
  
He strode back to her bed, materialized one of his signature red roses and placed it beside her on the bed. He  
  
silently vowed to give her a new rose every day until she came back to him. Then he had a sudden thought. Maybe  
  
he could use his healing power to bring her back. After thinking about it for a few moments, he thought better of it.  
  
He knew that healing took energy not just from the person doing the healing, but also the person being healed,  
  
and he knew Serena didn't have any energy to spare right now. Holding back his tears, he left, walking silently  
  
back to where the Scouts waited for their chance to see Serena. 


	2. The Awakening

See the disclaimer in part 1  
  
Email is always welcome: caoilte.la-canadienne@laposte.net  
  
CHAPTER TWO - Serena's Accident  
  
"You can go in to see her now," Darien stumbled over the words.  
  
The girls just looked at him.   
  
"Are you ok Darien?" Ami asked with concern evident in her kind sea-blue eyes.  
  
He didn't answer for a moment.   
  
"What do you expect me to say?" he replied dejectedly, "She didn't wake up for me. I'm exhausted so if you'll  
  
excuse me, I'm going home."   
  
The Sailor Scouts looked after him with concern in their eyes. Lita knew that he felt her loss as deeply as  
  
they did. She bit her lip.   
  
"I'll be there in a minute guys," she said to the others. "There's something I gotta do."  
  
She slipped out after Darien.   
  
"Darien, hold on a minute. I want to talk to you, please," Lita called after him. It didn't take long for her  
  
to catch up with him. He was slumped against his car with his eyes closed.   
  
"I don't know why you helped to save her but on behalf of Serena and her friends, I'd like to thank you for  
  
what you did. I know it doesn't help the pain, but I just couldn't let it pass. I just wish I knew why you...,"   
  
She stopped short at the pain in his eyes.   
  
"I can't tell you, Lita, I can only tell Serena, if and when...," Darien began to cry again, his heart breaking.  
  
Turning around and leaning against his car, he put his arm over his eyes and sobbed. Not knowing what to do, Lita  
  
put her hand on his back and rubbed gently to soothe and comfort him, as he had tried earlier to do with her.   
  
"It's ok Darien, we feel the same way. It's not healthy to keep it all inside, you know," she said to him quietly.  
  
He didn't answer but the shuddering of his shoulders told her he was still crying.   
  
"It's ok Darien, I understand," she said softly and gave him a gentle hug.   
  
She turned to go when she felt a strong hand on her arm. Turning back, she looked at Darien in surprise.   
  
"Thanks," Darien said softly, tears streaming down his handsome face.   
  
He looked like a lost little boy and it made Lita want to cry too. She hadn't cried since her parents were   
  
killed in an airplane crash several years before and here she was going to cry not once, but twice in one day.  
  
"I'd better get back to the others before they come looking for me," she said.   
  
Darien smiled through his tears.   
  
"I wouldn't want them to see tough-as-nails Darien crying now would I?" he joked feebly.  
  
Lita tried to muster up a smile.   
  
"Take care, Darien. See you tomorrow?" she asked.  
  
"I'll be here, every day if needs be," Darien replied fiercely. "I'll make her wake up..."  
  
He turned back to his car, opening the door and getting in. Lita left him to go back into the hospital where  
  
the other Scouts were waiting for her.  
  
Darien drove home that night on autopilot, his eyes blurred with tears. He didn't understand why everyone he  
  
cared for always ended up hurt or dead. He slammed his fist on the dashboard.   
  
"Dammit. Why does this keep happening to me?" he cried out. "I can't take much more of this."   
  
He got out of the car and went to his flat. Going out to the balcony, he looked out at the stars.   
  
'I'm supposed to be some superhero who saves the day and I can't even save the ones I love' he thought  
  
miserably. His resolve hardened. He was going to do his best to make Serena wake up and come back to him, her  
  
family and her friends. He wasn't going to let her go that easily. With his mind made up, he went inside and  
  
fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow, exhausted from the long and emotionally draining events  
  
of the day.   
  
At the hospital, the four Sailor Scouts stood helpless over the still form of their leader, Serena, who was  
  
also Sailor Moon. They noticed the rose Darien had left for her and left it where he had placed it for her.  
  
They didn't know where he'd got it from but assumed he'd gotten it from the hospital florist's shop. Rei bent  
  
down and hugged Serena gently.   
  
"I'm so sorry for all the arguing, Serena. You know I never meant any of the harsh things I said to you. You  
  
know I love you like a sister, don't you, Serena?" she broke down in tears and moved to stand by the window.  
  
Ami was next.   
  
"Serena, nobody ever took the time to see the person behind the brains like you did. I really miss your goofy  
  
comments and wonderful smile. I even miss your klutzy antics too," Ami smiled through her tears. "I miss you,  
  
we ALL miss you terribly Serena. Please come back to us. We can't do it without you."   
  
Ami went to join Rei at the window, putting her arm around the priestess in comfort. Both Lita and Mina knelt  
  
down next to Serena's hospital bed.   
  
Lita put her hand on Serena's cheek.   
  
"Whatever am I going to do with you Serena? You just can't stay out of trouble for long, can you?" she joked  
  
feebly. "You spoke to me when everyone else was too scared of my reputation and made everyone see that I was  
  
a worthwhile person to know. Thank you for that. I wish....," she couldn't continue.  
  
The tears that had threatened to fall while she spoke to Darien finally squeezed through her eyelids. She  
  
continued to caress Serena's cheek tenderly, with a sisterly touch, tears rolling down her face. Mina didn't  
  
say a word but simply wept for her injured friend and for the suffering of her fellow Scouts. She felt Serena's  
  
loss the keenest, the two blondes being the closest friends of the group.   
  
Luna and Artemis curled up carefully on top of the blankets covering Serena, hoping their presence would help   
  
in some small way. Luna felt guilty for all the times she'd pushed Serena, haranguing her to keep up with her  
  
studies, get up on time, and pay attention at the Scout meetings and hung her head in shame. Artemis comforted  
  
his feline companion as best he could but Luna still felt she'd somehow failed her young charge.  
  
The nurse came in shortly after the 10pm deadline to tell them that visiting hours were over. They picked up  
  
their books and the gym bags with the two cats still inside, and filed out after her. Gathered in the waiting  
  
room, they agreed to meet up again the next day and solemnly went their separate ways. Mina took both cats   
  
home with her, reasoning that Serena's family would be too busy to look after Luna, and also knowing it would  
  
make both Artemis and LUna feel better to be together.  
  
The next morning, Darien woke up to find his pillow wet with tears. He remembered the events of the previous  
  
day and groaned. He sat up sharply. He hadn't had THAT dream. The one where the beautiful princess begged him  
  
to find the Imperium Silver Crystal. He'd had that dream every night for years. Now nothing. What did that   
  
mean? Did it have anything to do with Serena? He wasn't sure but didn't want to dwell on it too much or he   
  
would break down again. His bedside clock read 6 am. He shot out of bed like lightening hit him. He had to   
  
get to the hospital to see Serena before the others did. Showering quickly, he grabbed an apple from the bowl   
  
on the table and rushed out the door.  
  
At the hospital, he quickly parked his car and went inside. At the reception desk, he asked if there had been  
  
any change in Serena's condition. So far there was nothing to report, good or bad so he went in as soon as   
  
visiting hours started. His rose was where he'd left it the night before. He didn't know whether to be pleased  
  
or hurt. He sat down in the chair beside the bed and took her hand. Her colour seemed a little better today,  
  
he thought, but didn't know if that was merely wishful thinking, or a reflection of reality.   
  
He remembered something from one of his psychology classes about people in comas being able to hear what was  
  
going on around them. He figured it couldn't hurt so he told Serena all about his schoolwork, what he was   
  
taking and how the classes were going. He wanted her to know him as he really was, not as the man who teased  
  
and tormented her every time they met. After a while, he ran out of things to say so he asked the nurse if it  
  
was ok for him to switch on the radio. She said it was ok so he tuned it up to his favourite station and sat  
  
listening to the songs for a while. In a rich tenor voice, he sang along to his favourite love songs, hoping  
  
to get a reaction from Serena, but she never stirred. The alarm on his wristwatch beeped at him that he'd  
  
better get to class. He told the still form on the bed that he'd be back after class to see her and kissed  
  
her tenderly on the forehead. He missed her lovely golden hair, those meatballs that he loved to tease her  
  
about. He silently hoped her hair grew fast. Leaving his customary red rose by her pillow and switching off  
  
the radio, he left for his university classes.   
  
After school the girls met up at the front entrance to the hospital. Their eyes were uniformly red and puffy  
  
from crying. Silently they went into the hospital and straight to Serena's room. They saw 2 roses laying on   
  
the bed.   
  
"Darien must have been here this morning," Ami said.   
  
"I'll see if one of the nurses has a vase we can put them in for her."   
  
She obtained a vase from the nurses' station, filled it with water and placed the two roses into the water.   
  
She put the vase on the window sill where Serena would see it when she woke. The girls gathered around Serena's   
  
bed, telling her about their day at school, who was in love with whom, that Ami had come in first yet again  
  
on another nation-wide examination.   
  
Darien showed up a few hours later, breathing hard from running from the car park in his haste to see if  
  
there had been any change. The Scouts gathered around him.   
  
"Are you ok Darien?" Lita asked him, eyeing him closely.   
  
Rei bit her lip. She had had a crush on Darien ever since she met him but she could see now that he only had  
  
eyes for their Serena. It was hard for her but she was a true friend and let him go, from her head if not   
  
from her heart. Going over to where Darien had seated himself in the room's only chair, she gave him a hug.   
  
She whispered into his ear, 'I know she loves you too Darien. She always thought you hated her so she never  
  
said a word. Quite an accomplishment for one who normally can't keep a secret to save her life.'   
  
Pulling back, Rei went to the window.   
  
"These blinds are so depressing me right now," she declared to no-one in particular, in a falsely cheerful   
  
voice. She opened the blinds to let in the afternoon sun, bathing the room in a soft yellow glow.   
  
"There, that's much better," she said.   
  
Surprisingly, everyone did feel a little more cheerful for having some sunlight in the room. The girls said  
  
their goodbyes, recognising Darien needed some time alone with Serena, and left to get some dinner.   
  
Left alone with Serena, Darien gazed at her, lying helpless in the hospital bed.   
  
"I'll get you out of here, somehow," he spoke softly to her, determination in every part of his body.   
  
He began to talk again, more to himself than to her.   
  
"I want to get married some day, have kids and a nice house. A good job that would pay for all the things you  
  
want, even if it was ice cream for dinner every day and a new outfit each week. I want to have a family. I   
  
never had a family, did you know that Serena? My parents died in a car crash on my sixth birthday and I've   
  
been so alone ever since until you came and hit me over the head, literally and figuratively."   
  
He knew Serena didn't even know what those words meant, but he knew she would understand anyway.   
  
Serena's parents arrived with her little brother to see Serena. Darien got up to leave but her father pushed  
  
him back down into the chair.   
  
"Please, stay," he said. "I'm sure Serena would like you to stay here."  
  
Putting his hand on Darien's shoulder, he looked down on his daughter.   
  
"I wish I knew what to say or do to bring her out of it," he told Darien.   
  
Serena's mother just stood there, with silent tears streaming from her eyes. After a few moments, overwhelmed  
  
by all the emotions, Sammy bolted from the room. Darien went after him.   
  
"Let me talk to him, sir," he told Mr. Tsukino before following the boy out of the room and down the hallway.  
  
He found Sammy in the corner at the end of the corridor, bawling his eyes out, every once in a while wiping his  
  
nose on his sleeve, making Darien cringe inwardly.   
  
"Go away, I don't want to talk to anyone," he wailed and batted his arms around, trying to keep Darien away.   
  
Darien sat down on the floor next to him and put his arms around Sammy, not saying a word. Sammy buried his   
  
face in Darien's chest and cried.   
  
"Why did it have to be Serena," he cried.   
  
"She may be silly and a big klutz but she's MY sister and I love her."   
  
Darien just sat there, letting Sammy get his emotions out.   
  
After a while, he asked,"I never had a sister, Sammy. What's it like?"  
  
Sammy looked at him in shock, his emotional outburst temporarily forgotten.   
  
'You never had a sister? What about a brother? Didn't your parents have any other kids than you?"  
  
Ignoring Sammy's bad grammar, Darien shook his head.   
  
"I didn't have any parents either. They were killed when I was little and I grew up in an orphanage," he confided  
  
to the boy.   
  
Sammy stared. He'd never known anyone who didn't have at least parents if not a sibling to fight with.   
  
"You haven't missed much," Sammy sniffed haughtily. "Sisters are a pain in the butt."  
  
Darien chuckled.  
  
"That's as may be, but at least Serena's YOUR pain in the butt."  
  
They both laughed at that and Darien helped Sammy to his feet.   
  
"Feeling any better now?" he asked the boy.   
  
"Yeah, don't tell anyone ok?" Sammy asked Darien anxiously.   
  
"Mum's the word, little brother," Darien replied.   
  
Sammy brightened.   
  
"I always wanted a big brother," he smiled up at the older man.   
  
"Consider it done. You're now my official little brother."   
  
Darien grinned conspiratorially with him and ruffled his hair. As they neared Serena's room, they sobered.   
  
"Darien, will she really be ok? I mean, don't talk all this doctoring rubbish. Will she wake up and be the   
  
same old Serena again?" Sammy asked him.   
  
"I honestly don't know, little bro. I wish she would but wishing is not the same as getting now is it?" he  
  
replied sadly.   
  
'He's gone on her something awful,' Sammy thought. 'I never really thought about Serena having a boyfriend  
  
before. I like Darien though, he's nice. He doesn't treat me like a little boy or a pesky baby brother. I   
  
hope she doesn't screw it up.' They entered the room and Sammy went to his parents.  
  
"I should go now," Darien spoke.   
  
"No, please," Serena's mother said. "We're not staying long, Sammy's got school tomorrow."   
  
"Aw, mum, I don't wanna go to school," Sammy protested.   
  
Darien smiled and winked at him.   
  
"How do you expect to be smarter than Serena if you don't go to school?" he whispered to Sammy with a grin.  
  
Sammy laughed.  
  
"All right, I'll go," he conceded.   
  
"Thank you," Serena's mother whispered over Sammy's head to Darien.   
  
Darien smiled sadly as they left him alone again with Serena. He sat down in the chair again and took her   
  
hand in his. 'Please Serena,' he thought. 'I need you to come back to me. We all need you, Sailor Moon'   
  
He sat up with a shock. Where did those thoughts come from, he wondered. He'd never needed anyone in his life.  
  
Not since he'd been hurt badly as a child, growing up in the orphanage. He'd sworn to himself that he'd never  
  
need anyone again and now he'd gone and broken his own promise. He shook his head wearily. He must be more   
  
tired than he thought. He kissed Serena goodbye, placed another rose where the previous two had been, and   
  
left, his shoulders slumped in defeat.   
  
At his car, he slumped over the steering wheel. He wondered if he was ever going to be able to bring Serena   
  
out of her coma. He sat staring into space for what seemed like an eternity. On the way home, he thought of   
  
all the things she'd done and said to him, looking for a clue to help her. He knew she was in love with his   
  
alter-ego Tuxedo Mask and wondered if he should try talking to her as Tuxedo Mask. Deciding against it as too  
  
risky, he grew more depressed.   
  
At his flat, he fixed himself a cursory meal and went straight to bed. He tossed and turned, his mind  
  
refusing to allow him peace. The next morning, he woke bleary-eyed and irritable. The stress was beginning to  
  
show. He considered not going in to school that day but knew that every class was important. After a quick   
  
visit to Serena, dropping off yet another rose at her pillow, he despondently went to class. After being   
  
called on during the lecture and giving a completely wrong answer to something he knew, he got up and   
  
abruptly left the classroom, slamming his textbooks shut in aggravation. He went back to the hospital and sat  
  
with Serena for the rest of the day, not talking but holding her hand in quiet desperation.   
  
The Sailor Scouts arrived later that day to find him asleep in the chair pulled up beside the bed, his head   
  
resting on the bed beside Serena's hand. They stared in shock and withdrew hastily before they woke him up   
  
from what looked to be badly needed rest.   
  
Mina looked at the others with a worried expression.   
  
"I am really worried about Darien," she told the girls.   
  
"This is tearing him apart. It doesn't look like he is sleeping or eating well, and I am worried he is going   
  
to fall apart completely soon if something isn't done about it."  
  
The others nodded in agreement. They'd had time to reflect on the situation at hand and had independantly come  
  
to the conclusion that their help was needed to get the two together, no matter what it took.  
  
"What are we going to do about it?" Ami asked.   
  
"I don't know, I was hoping you'd have some ideas, you're the one who usually has the answers," Mina replied.  
  
Ami bowed her head.   
  
"I have no ideas at all, I'm afraid," she said sadly.   
  
Just then, Serena's father arrived. Noticing the girls outside Serena's room, he asked what was going on.   
  
Mina seized on the chance to tell him about Darien's appearance. He looked angry. Walking past the girls, he  
  
entered Serena's hospital room. Darien looked up guiltily.   
  
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Serena's father demanded.   
  
"I expected more of you than this," he said to the young man.   
  
Darien looked at him in confusion.   
  
"How do you expect to help my daughter if you fall apart, son?" he said in a gentler tone.   
  
"I am so sorry sir, I...," Darien didn't know what to say and felt completely disgraced by bursting into tears.  
  
Serena's father bent down and put his arms around the distraught young man. Darien sobbed as if his heart was  
  
breaking and it cut Kenji Tsukino to the core. He knew Darien loved his daughter but he had no idea it was   
  
this hard on him.   
  
"I'm sorry Darien. I didn't realise it was this hard on you. Have you been able to talk to your parents about  
  
this?" he asked.   
  
Darien grew still.   
  
"My parents have been dead since I was a child, sir," he told the older man quietly.   
  
Mr. Tsukino cursed himself silently.   
  
"I'm sorry Darien, I didn't know," he apologised.   
  
"Nobody knows, sir," Darien replied. "I don't make it a habit of telling people about myself. I grew up in an  
  
orphanage until I was old enough to live on my own. I pretty much keep to myself nowadays. I haven't got   
  
anyone to talk to..."  
  
Serena's father didn't know what to say but just sat, staring into space.   
  
After much thought, he straightened up and said, "Come with me please, Darien, I would like to tell you   
  
something but not here."   
  
Mystified, yet curious, the younger man followed the older man from the room and out to the parking lot,   
  
where Mr. Tsukino gestured for Darien to get into his car. 


	3. The Aftermath

See the disclaimer in part 1  
  
Email is always welcome: caoilte.la-canadienne@laposte.com  
  
cHAPTER THREE - Serena's Accident  
  
Driving down the coast, the two men sat in silence, with only the sound of the radio between them.   
  
Kenji Tsukino pulled up to a secluded little rest area. Turning to Darien, he seemed to be evaluating  
  
the younger man. Deciding something with a nod, he motioned for Darien to follow him down a hidden   
  
pathway only he seemed to be able to find.   
  
"Where are we going, sir?" Darien asked with some trepidation.   
  
"You'll see," Serena's father replied with a small smile.   
  
After a few moments, they came to a secluded rock pool with a clear view down to the crystal clear   
  
waters of the Pacific Ocean. Off to one side was a stone bench. Sitting down, Mr. Tsukino waved for  
  
Darien to sit next to him on the sun-warmed stone.   
  
"This was one of Mrs. Tsukino's favourite places to go when we were first courting," he informed Darien  
  
with a nostalgic look on his face, reliving the romantic memories.  
  
"It's nice and quiet, not totally cut off, but enough so that we had privacy to say what we wanted to  
  
each other without anyone else hearing. Every once in a while, I come here when I need a break from   
  
things, just to sit and think about anything, or nothing at all. I thought you might want a place of  
  
your own to sit and think if you ever need to..."   
  
Darien nodded his thanks. With a pang, he noticed there was a lovely clear view of the moon from this  
  
vantage point as well. He blinked back tears.   
  
"I never really had anywhere to go that was really my own," he said to Serena's father.   
  
"I've always been either surrounded by other children when at the orphanage, or stuck in my flat or at  
  
school. I've always wanted to honour my parents' memories by doing my best at school in my chosen   
  
subjects. I'm studying to be a doctor so that I can help people and it hurts so much that with all my  
  
knowledge, I still can do nothing to help..."   
  
His voice began to break.   
  
"I love her so much it hurts and if anything happened to her, I don't know what I'd do. I've never ever  
  
felt this way about anyone before, and now...Serena doesn't even know how I feel about her. She'll   
  
never know at this rate and I'll have lost the only chance at being happy that I've ever had," he wept.  
  
The older man stared out at the ocean, lost in thought for what seemed like an eternity to Darien.   
  
"I know this doesn't help Darien, but you need to start thinking about yourself in all this. How are   
  
you going to help Serena if you let yourself get so down that you end up in the hospital yourself?" he   
  
asked with the wisdom of his years.  
  
"Doesn't she deserve your complete attention and care? You can't do that if you're getting yourself   
  
into such a state that you can't deal with anything. Serena needs you, we need you too. I never thought  
  
I'd say that to a boy that my daughter was interested in. I know I have a reputation for being tough on  
  
the boys that my Serena wanted to date, but I love my daughter and want what's best for her. And I   
  
think that you are what she needs. I also happen to know she loves you too and would be devastated if   
  
we didn't support you when you needed us. Just know that we are here for you too, anytime you need us,   
  
even if you don't want to say anything. We'll be there for you too, Darien, let us help you for a   
  
change," he entreated the young man at his side.   
  
Darien looked at his feet, feeling a warm glow come over him at Mr. Tsukino's words. He'd never felt  
  
...loved and supported like this before. He nodded his thanks, not daring to speak. Mr. Tsukino   
  
understood how he felt. It was rough and was only going to get worse before it got better. He needed   
  
Darien to get his feelings out before it became a bigger problem that he couldn't handle. Answering   
  
Darien's unspoken need, he left the young man and continued back to where he'd left the car, stopping   
  
here and there to admire a flowering cherry tree. Darien stood up and went to the edge of the rock pool,  
  
looking out over the embankment. Gazing up at the moon, he let the tears simply come, not caring if   
  
anyone saw him at that moment. He let the peaceful surroundings filter into his heart and mind, calming  
  
him as nothing else was able to do. He'd always had an affinity for nature and it seemed that nature   
  
knew his pain and wanted to help heal him. After a few moments, he turned and made his way back to   
  
where Mr. Tsukino sat waiting patiently at the car.   
  
"How do you feel now, son?" Mr. Tsukino asked the now serene young man.   
  
"Much better, thank you, sir," Darien replied with a genuine smile, the first Kenji had seen on the young   
  
man's face.   
  
"I really appreciate your taking the time..."   
  
"Not a problem, son. Just remember what I said," Mr. Tsukino cut in gently.   
  
Darien nodded gratefully. They made the drive back to the hospital in companionable silence. The girls   
  
were just leaving when they pulled up to the hospital doors.   
  
"Thank you, sir. I will remember what you said," Darien thanked the older man as he got out of the car.  
  
  
  
Mr. Tsukino nodded and drove off. Smiling at the girls, Darien went into the hospital and to Serena's   
  
room with a lighter heart than he'd had for a while. The girls stared after him mystified. Shrugging,   
  
they continued on to their homes with the unspoken agreement that they would meet again the next day.  
  
On the drive back to the hospital, Darien had come to a decision. No matter the cost, he was going to   
  
try and heal Serena, a little at a time if necessary to stop her from losing what energy her body was   
  
gaining while it healed naturally. He sat down in the chair by the bed and laid his hand on her   
  
forehead. Closing his eyes, he let his healing energy flow into Serena, carefully regulating it to   
  
ensure it didn't overpower her fragile body. A few moments later, he carefully withdrew and opened his  
  
eyes. He could tell that it had made an immediate improvement to Serena. Her colour was much better and  
  
she didn't seem to be in any pain. Not wanting to overdo it, he quickly stifled the impulse to try   
  
again. He'd heal her some more the next time he saw her. Smiling sadly, he placed another rose beside   
  
her pillow, noticing the vase holding his other gifts on the window sill. He was glad someone was   
  
keeping them for her. He kissed Serena goodbye on her lips, feeling giddy at the soft sweetness of her  
  
mouth and from the sheer delight at being able to just kiss her. Back at his flat, he ate his first   
  
proper meal that week, showered and went to bed to a restful sleep.   
  
His days began to take on a new routine. He'd visit Serena in the mornings, attend his classes and any   
  
scheduled labs, then rushing back to the hospital after a quick snack at the arcade. He kept Andrew,   
  
his sister Elizabeth, and Andrew's girlfriend Rita updated on Serena's condition. They were all   
  
concerned and happy to hear that she was slowly improving, according to the doctors.   
  
"If she wakes up, give her our love," Rita called after him one day as he was leaving.  
  
"I will, thanks Rita," he replied with a smile.  
  
Andrew and Rita stood outside the doors of the arcade, watching Darien as he drove off to the hospital   
  
to see Serena.  
  
"I'm sure everything will turn out just fine," Andrew said to Rita as they re-entered the arcade.  
  
She nodded and smiled up at her boyfriend. She knew he'd be devastated should anything happen to her, as  
  
she would if anything happened to him. She just hoped it would never have to be put to the test.  
  
Each evening, Darien would use his healing power to help her injuries heal, just a little at a time, to   
  
avoid overtaxing her frail body. Leaving his special rose by her pillow, he went home to a proper meal  
  
and straight to bed. After several weeks of this, it seemed as if he'd been doing it forever. He sighed.  
  
The injuries to her body were healing quicker than the doctors had anticipated, which brought a slight   
  
smile he was quick to hide. They chalked it up to youthful resilience but he knew better. As Sailor   
  
Moon, she was able to heal quite quickly anyway, and that, combined with his healing, made her injuries   
  
heal quicker than usual. With a grateful thought to her father, he visited the special place he'd been   
  
shown a few times when he felt his emotions getting the better of him, letting the peaceful setting   
  
calm his over-wrought nerves and mind.   
  
A week after she began to show definite signs of recovery, he again had the radio on, singing a   
  
favourite song when he noticed a change. Her eyes appeared to be fluttering....he leaned over and gave   
  
her a gentle kiss. Her eyes opened slightly and he suppressed a cheer. Stepping back, he gave her a   
  
little room so she wouldn't feel overwhelmed by his presence.   
  
"Wha....what happened?" her voice, hoarse from disuse, barely reached him.   
  
He knelt down.   
  
"It's ok Serena darling, you've been in a terrible accident - you were in a coma..." he said to her   
  
softly.   
  
Her eyes flew open.   
  
"Darien," she choked, "What are you doing here?"   
  
He grinned in elation.   
  
"I've been waiting to see you, my dear," he replied, smiling at her.   
  
"I've been here every day, waiting for you to wake up and come back to us," he added.   
  
She looked at him in confusion.   
  
"I thought you hated me," she whispered.   
  
"I thought...I thought you were a jerk, Darien," she said quietly.   
  
"I was and I am so very sorry Serena. I never meant to hurt you. To tell the truth, I was so mean   
  
because I loved you and I didn't want to admit it to myself, let alone to you. I was afraid of what   
  
you'd say, what you'd do...I thought you'd laugh at me," he said sadly.   
  
Darien took her hand in his.   
  
"I've been here every day, hoping you'd wake up so I could tell you how I felt. I never realised it   
  
until you weren't there...to laugh and make fun of me. To argue with and make me laugh. I love you   
  
Serena," he whispered to her, looking at the floor.   
  
She didn't say anything. Turning to go, he was surprised when she whispered something he never thought  
  
he'd ever hear her say.  
  
"I love you too Darien. I always did. I thought you'd laugh at me too, that you'd think it was just   
  
some school-kid crush or something and make a rude comment like you always did."   
  
He turned to face her. She was smiling and crying at the same time. He bent down to kiss away her tears.  
  
"Please don't cry Serena, I can't stand it when you cry. Especially when it's my fault," he pleaded   
  
with her, almost in tears himself.   
  
"I'm just so happy Darien. I couldn't stand fighting with you. All I wanted to do was throw myself into  
  
your arms and..." she blushed.   
  
"And what?" he teased.   
  
In a small voice she added, "Um...Kiss you."   
  
He smiled and bent over her again, kissing her softly and marvelling at the sweet taste of her. She   
  
blushed bright red and kissed him back, hesitantly at first, then with more passion. Her arms stole   
  
around his neck and held him to her with surprising strength. He broke off the kiss suddenly, not   
  
trusting himself to hold back any longer. She stared at him in confusion.   
  
"Don't worry darling, it's not anything to do with you. Well, ok it is, you're just too damn...I love   
  
you too much, Serena. I don't trust myself to do anything I shouldn't..." his voice broke.   
  
She smiled and gave a little laugh.   
  
"I'm not so sure I trust myself with you either," she replied with a blush.   
  
They gazed into each other's eyes, only breaking contact when the nurse came in. She dropped the tray   
  
she'd been carrying with a clatter and gave a little cry of joy.   
  
"You're awake," she cried.   
  
She ran out and paged the doctor urgently.   
  
"By the way, Darien, you have a lovely voice," Serena told him softly.   
  
"I could hear you talking to me, singing to me and I loved it. I just couldn't get back to you..."   
  
Darien put his finger to her lips to quiet her.   
  
"It's ok, love, don't worry, you're here now and everything will be just fine," he replied.   
  
The doctor arrived a few minutes later, breathing heavily from his run down the corridor. He'd been   
  
expecting bad news and was overjoyed to see Serena awake and talking. Giving her a thorough check-up,   
  
he told her that she'd have to stay in the hospital for a week or two more to give them a chance to   
  
make sure she was all right and to make arrangements for physiotherapy for her injuries. Then he left   
  
to contact her parents and tell them she was awake and going to be all right.  
  
Darien felt a little bemused by all the attention and moved to go.   
  
"Don't go, please," Serena begged him.   
  
"I don't want to be left alone right now, please..." she said in a small voice.   
  
He returned to the chair and held her hand in his.   
  
"I won't leave you, Serena," he told her, holding her hand in his, as if he couldn't bear to let go.   
  
They sat for a while, just looking at each other in wonder. Darien told her about how her father had   
  
been an enormous support to him when he felt things overwhelming him and she was amazed.   
  
"My dad is very protective of me." she told him.   
  
"I know, he told me," Darien grinned at her.   
  
"I don't know who was more surprised, him or me, to be honest. I don't think he expected to like me," he  
  
laughed.   
  
"But your father is the most amazing man I've ever come across. I would be honoured to have him as a   
  
father," he told Serena soberly.   
  
Just then, they heard her parents' voices in the hall. Serena's mother appeared at the doorway.   
  
"Oh Serena, I am so happy you're all right...," her mother broke down in tears of joy at the sight of   
  
her daughter awake and talking. Serena's father's eyes were misty with unshed tears as he came and gave  
  
his daughter a gentle hug. Putting his hand on Darien's shoulder, his voice shook with emotion.   
  
"I am so glad to see you're ok, my dear," he told her haltingly.   
  
"Darien has been taking such good care of you while you were...," he couldn't speak any more, the tears  
  
falling from his eyes.   
  
Darien looked at the floor shyly, even more embarrassed at the praise her father was heaping upon him.   
  
"I love Serena more than life itself," he said simply.   
  
The whole room was full of emotion, everyone in tears of joy and happiness at Serena's remarkable   
  
recovery. Darien knew she had hard times ahead, with the physiotherapy to help her injuries heal   
  
properly. He would be with her every step of the way, encouraging her and making sure she didn't   
  
overdo it in her haste to get well again.   
  
A week and a half later, Darien was again on his way to the hospital, this time in anticipation of her   
  
release from the hospital. His heart sang. She was coming home the next day. He didn't see the car that  
  
came speeding out of nowhere to hit him broadside.   
  
Serena was hobbling around the lobby, visiting with the Sailor Scouts when he was brought in, barely   
  
breathing.   
  
"Darien," she screamed as she recognised his battered and bruised body.   
  
"No," she cried in pain and desolation, "This can't be...."   
  
She grabbed his hand as they steadied the stretcher.   
  
"Darien, please, wake up, don't go, you promised me you'd never leave me...," she pleaded.   
  
His eyes opened and focused on her.   
  
"I'm sorry, Serena. I love you...," he whispered.   
  
"I love you too, Darien," she sobbed brokenly.   
  
He sighed and his head fell to one side.   
  
"No!" she screamed.   
  
It was too much for her still-healing body and mind to handle and she collapsed to the floor. The Sailor  
  
Scouts rushed to her.   
  
"No!" Ami screamed. "She's...they're...DEAD!"  
  
She screamed in pain and loss. The other Scouts began to cry as they hugged each other in grief.   
  
"They'd only just found each other and now they're gone," Mina sobbed inconsolably.   
  
Darien and Serena found themselves standing in front of a bright pillar of light, dressed in unfamiliar  
  
clothing.   
  
"Prince Endymion. My darling Serenity..."   
  
A beautiful, sad voice came from the pillar as it coalesced into the form of a beautiful woman. They   
  
recognised the names as their true names, from a distant and sorrowful past.   
  
"Mother," Serenity cried and went to embrace the woman.   
  
"Queen Serenity," Endymion spoke softly.   
  
"My children. I never thought to see you here so soon. Your time was too brief, your lives cut short   
  
beforetime. Pluto has agreed...she has agreed to send you back to your time..." Queen Serenity looked   
  
at them with sorrow in her eyes.   
  
"You were brought to this time to meet and fall in love, to fulfill your destinies that were so   
  
brutally interrupted during the Silver Millenium. May you be happy and carry my love with you always."  
  
Her voice and image faded out.  
  
Walking down the main street on his way to the bookshop, Darien heard a familiar voice.   
  
"Wait up, Lita, I'm on the way," he heard Serena call from the other side of the street.   
  
"Serena, be careful, there's a car coming," he called to her.   
  
Serena stopped short of the roadway. A car zoomed past, causing her hair to fly into her face.   
  
"Whoa, that was sure close," she grinned as she crossed the street safely.   
  
"Thanks Darien," she said.   
  
"Don't mention it," he replied.   
  
"I would hate to have to scrape you off the street," he teased her unmercifully.   
  
She made a face at him and grabbed Lita's arm.   
  
"Let's get rid of this jerk and go play some video games at the arcade. I betcha Andrew would give us  
  
a free sundae if we asked him nicely," she enthused.   
  
Darien stared after the two girls. He shook his head. He felt strange, like this had happened before,   
  
but with a different outcome.   
  
"Oh well," he said to himself.   
  
Strange things happened to him every day. Why should this one be any different? At least he'd seen that  
  
funny girl Serena again. He continued walking towards the bookshop. Another day of the same old, same   
  
old with that Meatball Head, Serena. He shrugged, smiled to himself, and walked on......  
  
THE END 


End file.
